So, you’re a writer with an idea. It may be a bit rubbish at this point, but there’s a shining gem of awesomeness in there somewhere, we can feel it. Probably.

Whether you’re still in the initial spark stage or have already cranked out a dozen or so chapters, this humble little site is here for you. Onto its many pages, we’ve crammed tons of useful information collected through years of agonizing and often painful writing and publishing trial and error. Our simple hope is to help our fellow writers find their way faster and with far fewer tears than we did.

We’ve got general tips for new writers (no shame in it, we were all newbies once), as well as information for traversing the writing process–choosing a title, developing characters and dialogue, planning and polishing your plot, and even some specific genre tips and tricks.

Then, once your masterpiece is written, it’s time for the editing process! We’ve got helpful information on cleaning up your grammar and punctuation, streamlining your story, and ensuring your brilliance makes sense to those outside the general boundaries of your own mind.

Finally, when you’re ready to take it public, we’ve got articles on choosing between traditional publishing and self-publishing options, as well as marketing and promotion strategies and the essentials of the business of books and selling your work.

Wherever you are in the grand journey of writing, we hope your find something here to make it a bit less daunting and a lot more encouraging!

The Smarts

What is Plot?

The series of events (action) that provide conflict within a story, which is sometimes referred to as the “spine” of a story. It is the result of what choices the characters make, the actions they take, and the events that happen because of those choices. Ideally the plot should be able to be described in one or two sentences. The plot should be simple.

This website is the work of Starla Criser, an author who has published more than 50 stories, both traditionally and through self-publishing routes.